We love celebrating stories of patients who are able to return to the activities they love after joint replacement surgery. For Dr. Virginia Githiri, that has included teaching, entrepreneurship, and traveling the world. She recently celebrated her 1-year “surgiversary” after her hip replacement.
Dr. Githiri is a newly retired professor at Indiana University School of Public Health and the founder and owner of PopKorn! Kernals with a Twist, a popcorn shop in Bloomington. She has spent years balancing a busy career with an active lifestyle, but over time, years of sports injuries and arthritis began taking a toll on her joints.
“I played sports for years and experienced injuries that ‘caught up’ with me,” she said.
Dr. Githiri had been dealing with knee pain for many years and had even been told nearly 17 years before her knee replacement that she would eventually need surgery. She initially tried other treatments, including arthroscopic repairs and physical therapy, before deciding on joint replacement.
“I had both knees repaired 12 years before my hip replacement,” she said. “The procedure bought me time – but, I knew eventually (baring a miracle) I would need a replacement to ensure that I could have the best quality of life possible.”
Her hip pain, however, came as a surprise.
“I didn’t even realize that my hip needed to be replaced until the X-ray confirmed this fact,” said Virginia. “I thought that I had over-used/strained my leg during exercise.”
As her pain worsened, even simple activities became difficult like walking up steps.
Dr. Githiri heard about MJCR from friends, so she turned to Dr. Penrose for treatment. She underwent a right knee replacement in August 2023 followed by a left hip replacement in May 2025.
“Dr. Penrose is very kind, patient, compassionate, and a great listener,” she said. “I also appreciated his openness and ability to explain the different treatments that might be possible.”
One of Dr. Githiri’s biggest concerns before surgery was recovery time and downtime from her busy schedule. But her recovery exceeded expectations.
“I was simply amazed at how quickly I got back to my normal activities,” she said. “My mobility as soon as I arrived home was much better than I had expected.”
Today, Dr. Githiri is back to doing what she loves most, including traveling internationally. After her right knee replacement in August 2023, she traveled to Ghana in May 2024. Six months after her left hip replacement in May 2025, she traveled to France, visiting both Paris and Nice.
“I am almost 3 years post knee replacement and I am fully able to do all of the activities that I did before I began having extreme pain (pre-surgery),” she shared. “I am nearly 1 year post hip replacement and I am able to walk without pain or discomfort.”
For others considering joint replacement surgery, Dr. Githiri offers encouragement and reassurance.
“It is understandable to have apprehension or fear before having a joint replacement surgery,” she said. “But, from experience, I can assure you that the brief discomfort after recovery is worth the outcome of joint replacement surgery which is absolutely a better quality of life.”
